Notes of my Captivity in Russia/Biographical Notice of the Author
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE
OF
THE AUTHOR.
Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz, Secretary to the Senate, and subsequently a Senator of the Kingdom of Poland, and President of the Royal Society of the Friends of Sciences at Warsaw, was born in 1757, at Skoki, in the Palatinate of Brzesc, in Lithuania. After having finished his education in the corps of Cadets at Warsaw, he spent several years in visiting France, Germany, and Italy.
Having been elected Nuncio for the Palatinate of Livonia, he made a brilliant political debut at the grand constituent Diet, which lasted from the year 1788 to 1792. The Polish patriots had then to contend with the pernicious influence of the powers co-operating in the partition, the prejudices of the nobility, and the ignorance, or even indifference of the lower classes of the people, whom it was necessary to elevate, in order to strengthen the national forces. Courage equally great was requisite to oppose the intrigues and menaces of the factions in the Assembly, and energy and talent to electrify the public mind without. Niemcewicz was among the first that supported in this Diet measures for establishing a monarchical power,—hereditary and strong,—together with the emancipation of the peasants, and pleaded always with eloquence, the cause of a wise liberty. Having, with the aid of his colleagues, Castellan Thaddeus Mostowski, and Weissenhoff, the Nuncio of Livonia, established a political newspaper, the National and Foreign Gazette, he rendered by this organ of the opinion of his party, important services to the cause of the reforms which were at that time proposed. We see him now celebrating, in simple and touching verse, the exploits of the heroes of another age, in order to rekindle the patriotism of his contemporaries, then, by the amenity and refinement of his mind, introducing into the drawing-rooms love for the national language and literature, or, finally, writing for the theatre plays specially destined to inspire virtues, which alone could dispel the dangers to which Poland was exposed. His play, The Return of the Nuncio Home, a work of truly patriotic design, had great literary success. On the anniversary of the establishment of the constitution of the 3d May 1791, the drama of Casimir the Great, which was also from the pen of our poet, was performed at the national theatre. But, alas! that was the last day of happiness that dawned upon the independence of Poland.
The confederation of Targowica, supported by the Russian armies, and favoured by the infamous pusillanimity of the King, Stanislaus-Augustus, shortly after succeeded in overthrowing the work of the grand Diet, and in causing the ruin of Poland. Niemcewicz was obliged at that time to leave the country, and this was his first political exile. But Poland was not to be yet lost, without making a generous effort to shake off the yoke of her oppressors. Kosciuszko soon raised the banner of insurrection in 1794, and Niemcewicz hastened immediately from Italy to join him, and to be, during all this war, his inseparable companion, in the camp as well as on the battle-field. It was from his pen that most of the proclamations, orders of the day, and bulletins of that memorable epoch emanated. When, after six months of a contest, often glorious, but far too unequal, Kosciuszko, severely wounded, fell into the hands of the Russians, Niemcewicz, wounded also, and taken prisoner in the same action, shared his captivity at St. Petersburg, after which, being released with Kosciuszko, he offered to accompany him to America, whither they betook themselves through Sweden and England.
Literature consoled Niemcewicz in his second exile, as it had alleviated the severities of his captivity at St. Petersburg, during which, amongst other labours, he wrote his fine translation of the Athalie of Racine and that of Pope's beautiful little poem, the Rape . of the Lock. After his arrival at Philadelphia, in 1797, Niemcewicz, being soon acquainted with everybody, was generally esteemed; and, on the motion of Jefferson, the American Philosophical Society elected him a member.
Three years after, he married Mrs. Livingston-Kean, a lady belonging to one of the most distinguished families of New-York. In 1802, having received the melancholy intelligence of his father's death, Niemcewicz returned for some time to Poland, in order to settle his family affairs. He published at that time his various works, and was made a Member of the Society of the Friends of Sciences, which had been recently established, and whose highly patriotic labours he henceforward shared with great activity. After his return to the United States, he did not leave that country until the year 1806, at the time when Napoleon was at war with Prussia, and when the French army entered Poland.
The King of Saxony, Sovereign of the Duchy of Warsaw, created by Napoleon, appointed Niemcewicz Secretary to the Senate, Member of the Supreme Council of Public Education, and Inspector of Schools. After the unfortunate campaign of 1811, he followed the members of the Polish Government to Germany, where they took refuge, and underwent upon that occasion his third exile.
After the re-establishment of the kingdom of Poland, by the Congress of Vienna, the Emperor Alexander confirmed him in his offices of Secretary to the Senate, and Member of the Council of Public Education; but in 1821, when the Russo-Polish government adopted a retrograde system, he was deprived of the latter office. The dismissal of Niemcewicz was a necessary part of the measures since adopted by the government, for suppressing, as much as possible, the germ of nationality and liberty in Poland.
Niemcewicz had already been for a long time justly odious to Russia, as much for the numerous services which he had rendered to his country, as for his popularity, and the spirit of nearly all his works. His Lithuanian Letters, a kind of periodical published in 1812, for encouraging the Lithuanians, his countrymen, to insurrection against Russia, were one of those unpardonable offences in the eyes of the cabinet of St. Petersburg. On the other hand, the constant object of his other numerous works was to keep alive the patriotism of the Poles: sometimes by popular songs, sometimes by historical labours, sometimes by speeches made on the most solemn occasions, Niemcewicz, with his indefatigable literary activity, harassed the enemies of Poland, and contended, without intermission, with arbitrary power and antinational tendencies. Thus the popularity which our author justly merited, increased in proportion to the displeasure shown by the government represented by the GrandDuke Constantine and Nowosiltzow.
Called by the choice of the notables of Warsaw to the Presidency of the Society of Benevolence of that city, Niemcewicz found in these functions a vast field for honourable and useful labours. But a still more conspicuous proof of public respect awaited him. The Royal Society of the Friends of Sciences at Warsaw, after the death of the learned philanthropist Starzyc, elected him their President; and it was in this capacity that, in 1829, he conducted the imposing ceremony of the inauguration of the statue of Copernicus, from the chisel of Thorwaldsen, which was erected before the mansion of the Royal Society, in one of the principal places of the capital.
The day after the revolution of the 29th November 1830, he was called into the Council of Administration of the kingdom, which surrounded itself with justly popular names. In the stormy times which followed, Niemcewicz contributed more than once to preserve the national movement from excesses which might have weakened its force and tarnished its purity. When he was afterwards elected Senator Castellan, the Diet, by a special bill, dispensed with the proof of his eligibility.
The following year, in the month of July, Niemcewicz being acquainted with the English language and manners, was sent by the National Government to plead the cause of his country before the British Cabinet; this was just at the time when the French Cabinet made proposals in London regarding the common mediation of the two Courts in the affairs of Poland. But the obstacles which were thrown in his way by Prussia did not allow him to arrive in time at London; and soon the fatal intelligence of the capitulation of Warsaw gave a deadly blow to the hopes of the Poles. Niemcewicz, more than seventy years old at that time, did not, however, hesitate to undergo his fourth exile, and share the fate of his countrymen who left Poland. He continued, at first, to labour in order to influence public opinion in England and Ireland in favour of his country, and contributed to the establishment of the Literary Society of the Friends of Poland in London. He afterwards came to reside in Paris, where his noble efforts in the cause, which he had already served upwards of half a century, were to terminate only with his life. As a member of the Polish Literary Society at Paris, he delivered speeches, read his various works, and took part in the struggles of the press, on the affairs of Poland, in which that Society was engaged. Niemcewicz, always actively occupied with historical studies regarding his country, established at Paris an Historical Committee,[1] which has already collected a great number of manuscripts, and to which he has bequeathed all his papers. He was a political speaker, a poet and a prose
writer; as a poet, he tried the art in all its branches, and wrote satires, fables, epigrams, idyls, &c.; as a prose writer, he was
historian, author of memoirs, and of political works. Active to the last, in spite of his advanced age and his infirmities, he died at
Paris, the 21st May 1841, at the age of eighty-four years, respected by his countrymen, by foreigners, and even by his enemies. Niemcewicz expressed, before his death, a wish to be buried at Montmorency, where he had resided for several years, with his friend and companion in arms, General Kniaziewicz. The Poles are now engaged in erecting, to both friends, a common monument at Montmorency, where a funeral service will be annually celebrated. He desired also, that the following epitaph, which is already engraven
upon the stone that provisionally covers his remains, should be put upon his tomb:
JULIANUS URSINUS NIEMCEWICZ
EQUES POLONUS
PATRIAM
QUAMDIU VIXIT COLUIT
EXUL
OBIIT PARISIIS MDCCCXLI.
- ↑ On this occasion, Niemcewiz, already eighty years old, made the following address to his countrymen and companions in exile.
“Loaded with the most cruel misfortunes, since the subjection of our country, persecuted, deprived of our fortunes, reduced to the extremity of living on the bitter bread of foreigners, scattered over the surface of the whole globe, if there is any consolation yet remaining to us, any energy in our adversity, any dignity in our misfortune, we owe it solely to the love of our country, to that guardian and consoling angel which animates our hearts, supports our efforts, and fortifies our hopes.
We left our homes but to serve the interest of our country abroad.—Such is the object of our emigration. But as it is not always in our power to serve her with arms in our hands, as political means are only accessible to the few, let us endeavour to be useful to her in a way open to every Pole: let us keep up, nourish, and strengthen this spirit, this national character, this sentiment of our imperishable rights, the glorious inheritance of our past, and the surest guarantee of our future. Antiquam exquirite matrem, such was the motto of one of our most celebrated historians! It should now be ours.
Whilst foreign rulers undermine and destroy the foundations of our ancient national existence, persecute the faith of our fathers, efface from the soil our institutions, and proscribe even the language of our country, whilst the sanctuaries of our patriotic traditions, our libraries, our archives, become the prey of the conqueror, it behoves us exiles, unfortunate but free, to repair all these losses and spoliations. In order to contribute as much as possible to the accomplishment of this duty, we have just established at Paris a Polish Historical Committee.
The first and principal measure which this committee has adopted, is simple and modest, and by the very facility of its execution, promises apparently most happy results. The Committee intends to find out, copy, make extracts, and unite into one collection, all the materials of our national history, which can be found in foreign libraries, public or private.
A few trials were sufficient to convince us of the usefulness and the extent of such an undertaking; we resolved, consequently, to make an appeal to all our countrymen to participate in our labours. Paris, the capital of a nation powerful and friendly to Poland, offers, in this respect, inexhaustible treasures; thus our central association in this city is already in full activity. Now we invite all the Polish exiles, on whatever point of the earth misfortune has cast them, to establish similar associations, and to labour collectively or individually in the projected work.
Every good Pole will, we are sure, approve of our object, and eagerly concur in it. A part of his leisure devoted every month to copy a few pages of documents connected with our history, will be sufficient for this purpose. His name, written on the same leaves, will pass to remote posterity, and awaken pleasant and honourable recollections; for our labour, besides its historical value, will have still this merit, that it will testify for ever, that, second to prayer, the remembrance of our fatherland was the sweetest consolation in exile, and that we remained faithful to these words of Holy Writ, which pourtrays so well the wishes and duties of an exile: Si oblitus fuero Jerusalem, oblivioni detur dextera mea; adhæreat lingua faucibus meis, si non meminero tui, si non proposuero Jerusalem in principio latitie meœ.
The Central Historical Committee at Paris hold their sittings, and receive collections, in the apartments which have been presented them by a generous Polish lady.
The Committee will not fail to extend and raise the compass of their labours, if they are supported by a great number of their countrymen.
The archives of the Committee and their library, which begins to be formed by the joint efforts of the members resident in Paris, as well as all the manuscripts and books which will be hereafter sent to this central depôt from the provinces, and from abroad, are henceforth declared national property; which property, we must not forget, will be better preserved, and more safe in our present abode, than it could be anywhere at the present time in subjected Poland.
Those of our countrymen whose patriotic zeal may dispose them to answer our appeal, will oblige us by applying for information on the plan of our labours, and their execution, to Mons. Charles Sienkiewicz, Secretary to the Polish Historical Committee at Paris, Rue Matignon, No. 1.J. U. NIEMCEWICZ.”
Paris, 5th May 1838.